Patterning wheels for weft knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A rotary pattern wheel which effects selection of knitting instruments having butts in a weft knitting machine. Axis of wheel is inclined to these instruments and provided with tricks so inclined to radial planes of the wheel as to be parallel to said instruments. Each trick accommodates a bit having at least one protuberant butt-engaging formation, the bits being so arranged that their formations either act or do not act upon butts. The bits are supported by a common pivot ring so that each bit is turnable about this ring to selectively move a buttengaging formation thereon to an operative or an inoperative position.

[451 June 26,1973

PATTERNING WHEELS FOR WEFT KNITTING MACHINES Inventor:

Filed:

Appl. No.: 135,017

Terence Francourt St. Clair Langham, Leicester, England Assignees KroyKnitting Developments Limited, Leicester, England Apr. 19, 1971 ForeignApplication Priority Data May, 2, 1970 Great Britain.. ...21,180/70 US.Cl 66/50 A Int. Cl D0411 15/76 Field of Search 66/25, 50 A, 156,

References Cited UNITED. STATES PATENTS Mishcon et a1. 66/156 X FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 176,236 3/1922 Great Britain 66/50 A 218,8487/1924 Great Britain 66/50 A 311,898 5/1929 Great Britain 66/25 PrimaryExaminer-Wm. Carter Reynolds Attorney-Larson, Taylor and Hinds [5 7]ABSTRACT A rotary pattern wheel which effects selection of knittinginstruments having butts in a weft knitting machine. Axis of wheel isinclined to these instruments and provided with tricks so inclined toradial planes of the wheel as to be parallel to said instruments. Eachtrick accommodates a bit having at least one protuberant butt-engagingformation, the bits being soarranged that their formations either act ordo not act upon butts. The bits are supported by a common pivot ring sothat each bit is turnable about this ring to selectively move abutt-engaging formation thereon to an operative or an inoperativeposition.

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' saw I; or 4 35 FIG 26 26 v PATTERNING WHEELS FOR WEFT KNITTINGMACHINES This invention relates to pattern wheels for both circular andflat weft knitting machines.

In particular, the invention is concerned with pattern wheels of thekind adapted to effect, for patterning purposes, automatic selection ofindividually movable needles or associated needle actuating and/orcontrolling instruments, e.g. jacks or sliders, all of which arehereinafter generically referred to, where appropriate, as knittinginstruments. Such a pattern wheel is arranged with its axisappropriately inclined to the associated knitting instruments in a planetangential or parallel to the circle or line of knitting instruments asthe case may be. The wheel is provided with a circumferential series oftricks which are so inclined to radial planes of the wheel as to beparallel to the knitting instruments and are regularly spaced apart atthe same pitch as the latter. Each wheel trick accommodates a bit whichhas at least one formation, and the bits can be so arranged that theirformations either act or do not act upon butts on the knittinginstruments, whereby the needles are selectively either caused to movefrom a retracted position to or towards an advanced position or aresimply not so moved. For example, the needles may selectively knit andmiss-knit or selectively knit, tuck and miss-' knit as required. Needlesknit when they are advanced to or towards a clearing position under theaction of butt-engaging formations on the instruments, miss-knit whenthe instruments are not acted upon by formations, and tuck when they areadvanced, under the action of formations on the instruments, to ortowards a position intermediate the normal non-knitting position and theclearing position. The pattern wheels are usually arranged to mesh withthe knitting instruments so as to be driven by them, but may beindependently driven in time with the knitting machine. Pattern wheelsof this form will hereinafter be referred to as pattern wheels of thekind referred to.

The invention is applicable to circular knitting machines both of therotary needle cylinder type and of the rotary cam box type. In theformer case, the pattern wheels are provided at stationary locationsaround the rotary needle cylinder or, in the case of a machine of thedouble axially opposed needle cylinder type, around the lower one of thetwo rotary needle cylinders, as the case may be, and in the latter casethey are carried by a rotary cam box structure so as to travel aroundthe stationary needle cylinder or the lower one of the stationary needlecylinders, as the case may be.

The invention is applicable to various types of flat knitting machines.Such a machine customarily has two opposed needle beds and alongitudinally traversible cam carriage furnished with cams or locks foroperating the knitting instruments. Amongst the flat knitting machinesto which the invention can be applied may be mentioned Lamb-typemachines having the two needle beds relatively arranged at 90 and eachdisposed at an angle of 45 to the horizontal, and also Iinks-and-links,i.e., purl stitch, machines having the two beds in a common horizontalplane.

The invention has, in fact, been devised primarily in connection withcircular knitting machines.

The object of the present invention is to provide, in or for a weftknitting machine, an improved pattern wheel of the kind herein referredto designed to enable the patterning program to be readily changed asrequired.

According to the invention, the bits of such a pattern wheel aresupported in their tricks by means of a common pivot element suchwisethat they are each turnable about this element to selectively move theor each butt-engaging formation thereof to an operative or inoperativeposition as desired, whereby with the wheel in use, the knittinginstruments with which the said wheel is associated are either actedupon and advanced under the action of formations on the bits or not soacted upon.

Where, for example, the needles of the machine are required to knit andmiss-knit only, each bit will be provided with a single butt-engagingformation, but where i a facility for tucking is additionally required,each bit will have two such formations. Thus, in the former case, eachbit will, in practice, he turnable between two positions one in whichthe knit formation can act upon a butt of a knitting instrument eitherdirectly to cause a needle to clear or to initiate such clearancepreparatory to knitting, and another in which the formation cannotengage the butt of a knitting instrument so that the needle miss-knits.In the latter case, each bit is turnable between three positions one inwhich the knit formation is operative, one in which the tuck formationacts upon the butt of a knitting instrument so that the needle tucks,and another in which both formations are inoperative so that the needleconcerned missknits. Turning of the bits to arrange their formationsaccording to a required patterning program can be performed simply andquickly by hand or, as is preferred, by means of a suitablebit-manipulating device designed for this purpose.

Preferably, where the pattern wheel is arranged to mesh with theknitting instruments so as to be driven by them, the bits of the wheelnot only control the patterning but also act as the driving means of thewheel by meshing with the instruments.

In implementing the invention, each bit may be formed with a centralhole, and the common pivot element, which extends through these holesmay be a ring which is accommodated in a circumferential groove providedin the pattern wheel and intersecting the tricks. Thus, the pivot pointof each bit is within the confines of the wheel.

The or each butt-engaging formation of each bit may conveniently projectlaterally from one side face thereof.

I In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readilycarried into practical effect, a specific constructional example thereofwill now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein,

FIG. 1 is a detail vertical sectional view of so much of the knittinghead of a circular multi-feed knitting machine of the rotary needlecylinder and dial type as is necessary to illustrate one of the improvedpattern wheels applied thereto, 7

FIG. IA is a detail sectional view of a peripheral portion of thepattern wheel shown in FIG. 1, and depicts more clearly theknit/miss-knit bit in position in the wheel,

FIG. 2 is a detail plan view illustrating in purely diagrammaticfashion, a few of a circular series of the pattern wheels arrangedaround the rotary needle cylinder of the machine there being one suchwheel per feed,

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are face, edge and plan views respectively of aknitlmiss-knit bit,

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are similar face, edge and plan views respectively of aknit/miss-knit/tuck bit,

FIGS. 9, 10, l1 and 12 are four detail sectional views each of aperipheral portion ofa pattern wheel in which are fitted bits either ofa different form or differently arranged as compared with the bitdepicted in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the illustrated machineincludes a rotary needle cylinder 1 which is formed with tricks, such as2, in each of which is accommodated a vertically slidable knittingneedle 3 of the latch type. The needle is furnished with an upperoperating butt 4 and a lower patterning butt 5. Surrounding the cylinder1 is a conventional stationary cam box 6 of annular form in which arefitted cams, such as 7 and 8, for action upon the operating butts 4 ofthe needles. In the particular well-known type of machine illustrated,the patterning butts 5 of the needles 3 are acted upon simply to advancethese needles sufficiently to move their operating butts 4 into therange of cams in the cam box 6 by means of which the needles areultimately caused either to clear and knit, or to tuck, as the case maybe. That is to say, in this case action upon the patterning butts 5 onlyinitiates the desired behavior of the needles. It is, however, to beclearly understood that each needle may alternatively only have one buttin which instance action on these single butts directly causes needlesto clear and knit, or to tuck, according to requirements.

Rotatable together with the needle cylinder 1 is a horizontal dial 9which is formed with radial tricks 10 each for accommodation of a dialneedle (not shown). The conventional stationary dial cam cap 11 isfitted with cams, such as 12 and 13, for action upon butts on the dialneedles.

In accordance with the present invention, there are mounted upon astationary annular support 14 surrounding the lower end of the needlecylinder 1, at regular intervals therearound and one in advance of eachfeed, a circular series of pattern wheels PW each of which is of thesimple form shown in FIG. 1. Each wheel PW is arranged for rotationabout a central axle a which is secured in a bush 15 set in a bracket16. This bracket has an outwardly extending lug 16a adapted to besecured in position by a single screw or bolt 17. Each bracket 16 is, infact, slidably engaged, for adjustment radially in a slideway 18 whichis fixed to the annular support 14 by screws 19, and each screw or bolt17 extends through a slot 20 in the corresponding lug 16a and is screwedinto a tapped hole in the said annular support.

Each pattern wheel PW, moreover, is mounted upon and surrounds a centralflanged boss 21 between which and the axle 15 are interposedanti-friction bearing means 22. As previously explained the axis ofrotation of each wheel is inclined with respect to the needles 3.

As will be seen, the said wheel comprises an upper annular plate 23, thecentral circular aperture in which is indicated at 23a, and a lowerannular base part 24 which seats upon the flange 21a of the boss 21. Aknurled circular nut 25 which extends, with clearance, through thecircular aperture 23a is screwed down on to a screw-threaded upperportion 21b of the boss 21 suchwise as to clamp the base part 24 firmlydown on to the flange 21a. The upper annular plate 23 and the base part24 define between them a circumferential slot 26 the inner end of whichis enlarged at 26a whilst the outer end 26b thereof, suitably deepened,communicates with a circular series of radial tricks 27 cut in theperiphery of the base part. The rotational axis of the wheel PW is soappropriately inclined to the vertical that these tricks 27 are parallelto the knitting needles 3 and are regularly spaced apart at the samepitch as the latter. Each trick 27 accommodates a relatively thin bit 28which is generally square in shape and is furnished with at least onebutt-engaging formation such as that indicated at 29 in FIG. 1. Theperipheral margin of the underside of the upper annular plate 23 isrecessed at 231) to accommodate the upper portions of the bits 28. Theplate 23 is detachably secured to the lower annular base part 24 bymeans of screws 30, and when the said plate is in position, aftersetting of the bits 28 in accordance with the patterning programrequired, it bears down upon the top edges of the said bits and therebymaintains them in correct alignment.

The tricked lower base part 24 is formed in its upper surface, near tothe periphery of the pattern wheel PW, with a relatively deep circulargroove 31 which is regularly interrupted by and intersects the tricks 27and opens into the outer deepened portion 26b of the slot 26. In thisgroove 31 is seated a ring 32, e.g. fashioned from a length of roundsection wire, this ring constituting a common pivot element for the bits28. Each bit has therein a generally central circular hole 33 to en ableit to be supported upon the ring 32. It is important that the diameterof each circular hole 33 shall substantially exceed the cross-sectionaldiameter of the material of which the ring 32 is formed.

The bits 28 are clamped down upon the pivot ring 32 by means of theannular plate 23, but even when this plate is removed to enable a changein the patterning program to be made, the bits will be prevented fromtoo easily rising and turning out of control by virtue of the fact thatany upward vertical displacement of the ring 32 tends to be thwarted bythe bits which are, of course, inclined with respect to radial planes ofthe wheel.

In the particular illustrated example of the invention, a knit/miss-knitbit, like that shown at 28 in FIG. 1 and also in detail in FIGS. 3, 4and 5, is generally square in shape with part 28 cut away so as to forman extension 34 from one edge thereof at one corner, the inner freemargin of this extension being bent substantially at right angles to theplane of the bit to provide the taillike knit formation 29.

A knit/miss-knit/tuck bit, on the other hand, whilst being generally ofa square shape has portions of its body 28 slit and partially cut awayas at 28 inwardly from two opposed edges thereof, the bit adjacent tothese locations being bent at right angles to the plane of the bit bodyso as to form tail-like knit and tuck" formations 36 and 37 which arerespectively disposed in two spaced parallel planes all as more clearlyshown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. This knit/miss-knit/tuck bit, more over, isalso formed with notches 38 for receiving formations 36 and 37 onadjacent bits when the latter are turned to relevant positions.

When in an operative position, a butt-engaging formation 29, 36 or 37will project outwardly from the periphery of the pattern wheel PW and bedisposed in a plane which is at right angles to the tricks 27. When nosuch formation of any particular bit 28 is in an operative position,then a generally flat plain portion 35 only of the bit will project fromthe periphery of the wheel whereby the butt of a knitting instrument,i.e., the patterning butt 5 of the needle 3 in FIG. 1, will idly slidealong this flat portion without being engaged and raised so that theneedle miss-knits. In the case of bits 28 like that shown in FIGS. 6, 7and 8, the periphery of the wheel PW adjacent to the appropriate sidesof such bits will require to be suitably relieved so that the tuckformations 37 clear the wheel when moved to their inoperative positions.

In each of FIGS. 1 and 9, the knit/miss-knit bit 28 furnished only witha knit formation 29 and a flat plain portion 35 is turnable about thepivot ring 32 to either of the two positions P and P indicated in thesetwo figures. Similarly, in each of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, theknit/miss-knit/tuck bit furnished with knit" and tuck" formations 36 and37 as well as with a flat plain portion 35 is turnable to one of thethree positions P, P and P indicated in these three figures.

In all cases, the upper annular plate 23 of the wheel has to betemporarily detached from the lower annular base part 24 to permit ofturning of the bits 28 according to the patterning program required.

As will beappreciated, in all of the illustrated examples, portions ofthe bits 28 to whichever positions they are turned, protrude outwardlyfrom the periphery of the pattern wheel PW after'the fashion of gearteeth arranged to mesh with the needles 3. By virtue of thisarrangement, therefore, the needles drive the wheel.

The purpose of FIG. 2 is to show, in a purely diagrammatic fashion, howthe improved pattern wheels PW, one to each feed of the machine arearranged around the needle cylinder 1.

The components of the improved pattern wheel may be made of anyappropriate metallic and/or plastics materials.

I claim:

1. For a weft knitting machine equipped with individually movableknitting instruments having butts, a rotary pattern wheel for effecting,for patterning purposes, automatic selection of the knittinginstruments, said wheel being disposable with its axis inclined to theknitting instruments and being provided with a circumferential series oftricks which are so inclined to radial planes of the wheel as to beparallel to the knitting instruments, said tricks being regularly spacedapart at the same pitch as the knitting instruments and eachaccommodating a bit having at least one protuberant butt-engagingformation, these bits being so arranged, according to patterningrequirements, that their formations either act or do not act upon buttsof the knitting instruments to advance the same; said pattern wheelbeing characterized in that the bits are supported in their tricks bymeans of a common pivot element so that each such bit is turnable aboutthis element to selectively move a butt-engaging formation thereon to anoperative or an inoperative position, as desired, said bits beingknit/miss-knit/tuck bits, each of which are provided with abutt-engaging knit formation, and each turnable between the threepositions, viz one in which the knit formation is operative, another inwhich the tuck formation can act upon a butt of a knitting instrumentand yet another in which both formations are inoperative.

2. A pattern wheel according to claim 1, wherein the bits, to whateverpositions they are turned protrude outwardly from the periphery of thewheel thereby being adapted to mesh with and be driven by knittinginstruments.

3. A pattern wheel according to claim 1, wherein each bit has therein acentral hole and the common pivot element which extends through theseholes is in the form of a ring accommodated in a circular groove whichis so provided within the wheel as to intersect the trick.

4. A pattern wheel according to claim 1 comprising an upper annularplate having therein a central aperture, and a lower annular base partwhich has formed therein the bit-receiving tricks and is arranged toseat upon a flange of a central boss between which and a fixed axle areinterposed bearing means, the said base part being clamped down upon theflange by a nut located, with clearance, within the aforesaid centralaperture, and the upper plate being detachably secured by screws to thebase part and adapted, when in position after setting of the bits inaccordance with a patterning program, to bear down upon the top edges ofthe bits to maintain the latter in correct alignment.

5. A pattern wheel according to claim 1, wherein eachknit/miss-knit/tuck bit is generally of square shape and has portions ofits body slit and partially cut away inwardly, from opposite edgesthereof, the bit adjacent to these locations being bent at right anglesto the plane of the bit body so as to form tail-like knit and tuckformations which are respectively disposed in two spaced parallel planesand both of which project laterally from one and the same face of thebit.

6. A pattern wheel according to claim 5, wherein the relevant edges ofeach knit/miss-knit/tuck bit have formed therein notches to receive knitand tuck formations on adjacent bits when the latter are turned tocertain positions.

1. For a weft knitting machine equipped with individually movable knitting instruments having butts, a rotary pattern wheel for effecting, for patterning purposes, automatic selection of the knitting instruments, said wheel being disposable with its axis inclined to the knitting instruments and being provided with a circumferential series of tricks which are so inclined to radial planes of the wheel as to be parallel to the knitting instruments, said tricks being regularly spaced apart at the same pitch as the knitting instruments and each accommodating a bit having at least one protuberant butt-engaging formation, these bits being so arranged, according to patterning requirements, that their formations either act or do not act upon butts of the knitting instruments to advance the same; said pattern wheel being characterized in that the bits are supported in their tricks by means of a common pivot element so that each such bit is turnable about this element to selectively move a buttengaging formation thereon to an operative or an inoperative position, as desired, said bits being knit/miss-knit/tuck bits, each of which are provided with a butt-engaging knit formation, and each turnable between the three positions, viz one in which the knit formation is operative, another in which the tuck formation can act upon a butt of a knitting instrument and yet another in which both formations are inoperative.
 2. A pattern wheel according to claim 1, wherein the bits, to whatever positions they are turned protrude outwardly from the periphery of the wheel thereby being adapted to mesh with and be driven by knitting instruments.
 3. A pattern wheel according to claim 1, wherein each bit has therein a central hole and the common pivot element which extends through these holes is in the form of a ring accommodated in a circular groove which is so provided within the wheel as to intersect the trick.
 4. A pattern wheel according to claim 1 comprising an upper annular plate having therein a central aperture, and a lower annular base part which has formed therein the bit-receiving tricks and is arranged to seat upon a flange of a central boss between which and a fixed axle are interposed bearing means, the said base part being clamped down upon the flange by a nut located, with clearance, within the aforesaid central aperture, and the upper plate being detachably secured by screws to the base part and adapted, when in position after setting of the bits in accordance with a patterning program, to bear down upon the top edges of the bits to maintain the latter in correct alignment.
 5. A pattern wheel according to claim 1, wherein each knit/miss-knit/tuck bit is generally of square shape and has Portions of its body slit and partially cut away inwardly, from opposite edges thereof, the bit adjacent to these locations being bent at right angles to the plane of the bit body so as to form tail-like knit and tuck formations which are respectively disposed in two spaced parallel planes and both of which project laterally from one and the same face of the bit.
 6. A pattern wheel according to claim 5, wherein the relevant edges of each knit/miss-knit/tuck bit have formed therein notches to receive knit and tuck formations on adjacent bits when the latter are turned to certain positions. 